Am I Covered If I’m Driving Someone Else’s Car in Nashville?
There are plenty of reasons why you may be driving someone else’s car. Your car may be in the shop, or perhaps you are a designated driver (if so, thank you!). If you are in a car accident in that person’s vehicle, you may not be sure if you have insurance coverage or not.
Car insurance almost always follows the car, which means that if you are insured, you will be covered when driving someone else’s vehicle, so long as you have their permission. On the other side of things, the insurance held by the vehicle owner might also be sufficient in covering someone driving it who is not named on the policy. So, if you are in a Nashville car accident, you will be covered even though you were driving someone else’s car.
Types of car insurance and how they cover you in someone else’s car
Between comprehensive and collision, personal injury protection/med pay, roadside assistance and liability coverage; you should be covered so long as you have one of these types of insurance when driving another person’s vehicle. Make sure you have permission prior to using the vehicle or you could run into some serious legal issues.
Comprehensive and collision coverage
Comprehensive and collision coverages help repair a vehicle when it is damaged in an accident. This coverage will only work if you have permission to use the vehicle. If this is the case, and the vehicle needs to be replaced or repaired, the insurance policy it is named on will handle the compensation.
Personal injury protection or med pay
Personal injury protection or med pay coverage will help pay for injuries to the driver of the vehicle or its passengers, even if you were driving someone else’s vehicle and you were at-fault in the crash.
Roadside assistance
Roadside assistance is not included in all types of car insurance policies, and is often considered an add-on. If the policy that covers the car has roadside assistance you will be able to call someone to come service the car (tire change) or tow the vehicle after it has been in an accident.
Liability coverage
Liability coverage is used to pay for vehicle damage, injuries, and potential lawsuits when a vehicle is involved in an accident. In many instances, liability coverage of the vehicle’s owner and you as the driver can be combined to pay to compensate those who are injured in the crash.
What is non-owner car insurance?
Non-owner car insurance is a type of coverage that is available from most major insurance companies. This insurance covers people who drive vehicles that they do not own, such as rental cars, cars of family members or friends, company vehicles and others. There is a caveat with this insurance, though, and it is that it doesn’t cover your own medical expenses or damage to the vehicle you were driving. It will, however, cover damage to the other vehicle and injuries to the people in the other vehicle.
The Tennessee minimum requirements for non-owner insurance are as follows:
- $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person
- $50,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per accident
- $25,000 in property damage liability coverage
Non-owner coverage is ideal for any of the following situations:
- You rent or borrow cars frequently
- You do not want to experience a lapse in coverage (which can affect your premiums)
- You are required to hold insurance due to a court order
The average annual premium for non-owner coverage in Tennessee is $300. WalletHub notes that “Certain other types of coverage—like collision, comprehensive, and rental reimbursement—are not available with non-owner car insurance policies because there isn’t a specific vehicle for the policy to insure.”
What to do if you suffer injuries in a Nashville car accident
A car accident is not always a simple process. The party at fault should be held responsible for the financial losses they cause to another person. If a negligent driver hits you, you want to do all you can to make sure the responsible party pays for all of the losses you have suffered. With the help of a Nashville car accident attorney from Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, you can pursue financial compensation for any losses others caused to you.
Rocky McElhaney Law Firm is here for you. If you have been hurt in a car accident, call our legal team to discuss your case. We serve clients at our offices in Nashville, East Nashville, Hendersonville, Clarksville, and Murfreesboro. Call our office or submit our contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case with an experienced car accident attorney.